The invention relates to an endoscope having a shaft and a handle extending sideward from the shaft and arranged at a proximal end. A mechanism is provided for pivoting the direction of view in an observation area and at least one operating element is engaged with the mechanism for actuating the same.
An endoscope of this type is disclosed in the German brochure of Olympus Optical Co. (Europa) GmbH, Hamburg, xe2x80x9cOLYMPUSxe2x80x94THE VISIBLE DIFFERENCExe2x80x9d with the designation xe2x80x9cSchwenkprisma-Boreskopxe2x80x9d ([xe2x80x9cBorescope with pivotable prismxe2x80x9d]).
Endoscopes are becoming more important both in technical as well as medical applications. In technical fields, such endoscopes allow an inexpensive, non-destructive, visual control of material quality. Difficultly accessible cavities and hidden components can be visually inspected with an endoscope without time-consuming disassembly. A further application of technical endoscopes is in the study of combustion processes in internal combustion engines, turbines or reactors, only to name a few.
In the medical field, endoscopes are employed in minimally invasive surgery. Operations without larger incisions can be carried out under visual control with the endoscope, where the patient is only slightly affected.
It will be understood that the viewing direction is the direction of the symmetry axis of the light cone, limited by the image angle, of the observation light entering the distal end of the shaft. In a simple type of the known endoscopes, the view direction is fixed and can only be altered by changing the position of the endoscope, which however is only possible to a limited extent. Thus to observe an object from different perspectives or to enlarge the viewing area, i.e. the view field, separate endoscopes having different optics have been provided. These include for example optics for a forward view, a view slightly displaced from forward, side view and rear view. These types of endoscopes must be exchanged with one another during an operation to alter the view direction, which however is inconvenient. For each exchange, the one endoscope must be withdrawn from its entry opening into the observation area and the next endoscope must then be inserted.
Endoscopes of the type mentioned at the outset have been developed with a mechanism for pivoting the view direction at least in the circumferential direction of the shaft. With one single endoscope, an object can be inspected from different perspectives or a larger region can be seen in the observation area. Thus the view direction can be altered without changing the position of the endoscope.
The endoscope known from the above company brochure comprises a handle projecting from a side of the shaft at its proximal end. The handle can be comfortably held in the hand, since it can be readily gripped by the fingers and the thumb when placed in the hand. An operating element is provided which operatively engages with the mechanism for pivoting the view direction, so that the desired direction can be adjusted by actuating the operating element.
The operating element in the known endoscope is provided as an adjustment ring, which is arranged concentrically with the axis of the shaft near the ocular. This configuration of the endoscope has drawbacks with respect to its operational capabilities. When the endoscope is held in the one hand, the other hand must be used to actuate the operating element to pivot the view direction. It is not possible or it is very difficult to operate the ring with the same hand holding the handle, because the ring is positioned above and behind the hand handle. In addition, actuating such an adjustment ring normally requires the use of the thumb and the index finger. The view direction and the image focus cannot be adjusted simultaneously, because no hand is free for actuating the focusing ring at the time the operating element is being used to pivot the view direction.
Since the ring is not ergonomically positioned on the handle and the ring is formed to be concentric with the shaft, the endoscope cannot be held in one hand and simultaneously the ring actuated with the same hand. Thus it is not suited for one-hand operation.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an endoscope of the above-mentioned type, in which the operational capabilities of the endoscope are improved.
According to the present invention, an endoscope is provided, comprising:
a shaft having a longitudinal axis, a distal end and a proximal end;
a handle disposed at said proximal end of said shaft and extending sidewards of said shaft, said handle being configured in pistol-like fashion;
a mechanism for pivoting a view direction of said endoscope within an observation area; and
at least two operating elements which are operatively engaged with said mechanism for actuating said mechanism, a first one of said at least two operating elements being for pivoting said view direction with respect to said longitudinal axis of said shaft and the second one of said at least two operating elements being for pivoting said view direction in circumferential direction, said first operating element being disposed on a front side of said handle such that it is operable with at least one finger of the hand holding said handle,
wherein said second operating element is disposed on a side face of said handle such that it is operable with the thumb of said same hand holding said handle.
The endoscope of the present invention allows a one-hand operation, not possible in the known endoscope, through the configuration with at least two operating elements positioned on the handle itself, one on the front side and one of the side face of the handle, so that the one can be actuated with at least one finger and the other with the thumb of the same hand holding the handle. The positioning of the operating elements on the handle allows the handle to be held firmly in the hand while actuating the operating elements and the operating elements to be actuated without substantial change in the position of the hand or in the manner of gripping. The sidewardly extending handle thus remains comfortably held in the hand also when actuating the at least one operating element. The invention is therefore to position at least two operating elements on the handle at a location where the thumb and at least one finger lies when normally gripping the handle in relaxed manner. An advantage is that the operating elements can be actuated with only slight movement of a finger and thumb. The endoscope of the present invention is considerably improved in handling due to the one-hand operability.
Positioning one of the elements at the front side has the advantage that the operating element can be actuated with the fingertips or the forward finger joints of one or more fingers of the same hand holding the handle. A further advantage is that the endoscope can be operated by left as well as right-handed persons, because the operating element can be provided at a central position on the distal side of the handle.
At least two operating elements are provided, where the at least one operating element for pivoting the view direction with respect to the longitudinal direction and the at least one further operating element for rotating the view in circumferential direction are positioned with respect to one another such that one the operating elements is actuated with the thumb and the other with at least one finger of the same hand which holds the handle.
With this configuration, the view direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft is pivoted by adjusting the disposition of the optical element, i.e. the view direction relative to the longitudinal axis is adjusted by adjusting the disposition of the optical element in an angular range between for example a forward view and a rear view. On the other hand, by rotating the shaft the view direction is altered in circumferential direction of the shaft. The known endoscope mentioned in the introduction comprises such a rotatable shaft and a pivotal prism. However, for rotating the shaft and for pivoting the prism, a ring is arranged concentrically about the shaft, which as already mentioned cannot be operated by the same hand holding the handle.
In contrast, a one-hand operation of two operating elements is achieved in the present invention, because these operating elements are ergonomically positioned on the handle. A considerable advantage of the invention is that an arrangement is provided through the position of the operating element for rotating the shaft and the operating element for adjusting the optical element, which allows a simultaneous actuation of both operating elements. The one operating element can be actuated for example with the index finger and the further operating element with the thumb, such that the desired view direction can be adjusted more easily and much faster, which is not possible with the known endoscope.
The object underlying the present invention is thus completely achieved.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first operating element is configured as a pistol-like trigger.
In combination with the positioning of the first element on the front side of the handle, this has the advantage that the trigger can be operated over a small distance and therefore operated with slight finger movement by bending the finger. The trigger, which can be formed as a pivot lever, can preferably be actuated with the index finger, while the remaining three fingers and the thumb comfortably hold the handle. This configuration of the operating element is therefore particularly ergonomic.
In a further preferred embodiment, the first operating element is formed as a button.
A one-hand operation is also advantageously achieved with this configuration. The button can be positioned on a side face of the handle to be operated with the thumb or as mentioned above, positioned on the front side of the handle to be operated with one finger of the hand grasping the handle. In a configuration with a pair of buttons, one button is preferably configured to pivot the view in one direction and the neighboring button to pivot in the opposite direction. In a configuration as a toggle button, one side of the button is preferably for pivoting the view in one direction and the other side for pivoting in the opposite direction.
In a further preferred embodiment, the first operating element comprises a circumferentially closed or partially open ring for actuation with one or more fingers.
The feature has the advantage if the operating element is not moved against a return force, so that the element can be moved back and forth with the same finger or fingers or with the thumb without having to reposition the finger or fingers.
In a further preferred embodiment, the second operating element is formed as a slide member and is arranged on the at least one side face of the handle.
The feature represents a further advantageous possibility of positioning and configuring the operating element, which enables actuation with the thumb alone. If such a slide member is provided on both side faces of the handle, the present endoscope can then advantageously be operated with the left or right hand.
In a further preferred embodiment, the second operating element is configured as an adjustment wheel, which is rotatably mounted in the handle, where the handle includes at least one window on at least one of its side faces in which a portion of the circumference of the adjustment wheel is exposed.
An advantage is that the adjustment wheel, of which only an operable portion protrudes from the handle, can be rotated with the thumb with only slight thumb movement. Preferably, an actuatable portion of the adjustment wheel is exposed on both sides of the handle, so that the endoscope can be operated with the left or the right hand in the same manner.
In a further preferred embodiment, the adjustment wheel is arranged in the handle with its pivot axis not being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
An advantage is that the direction of operation of the adjustment wheel runs approximately in the direction of the shaft axis. This operation direction is advantageously adapted to the freedom of movement of the thumb when the handle is grasped by the hand of the user.
In a further preferred embodiment, the mechanism for pivoting the view direction comprises at least one optical element arranged to be adjustable in position at the distal end of the shaft, where the position adjustment provides pivoting of the view direction substantially with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shaft and the first operating element is operatively engaged with the optical element.
In combination with the positioning of the at least two operating elements on the handle, an advantageous one-hand operation of the pivoting of the view direction is achieved with respect to the longitudinal direction, for example between a forward and rearward view direction.
In a further preferred embodiment, the mechanism provides rotatability of the shaft, where the shaft is rotatable about its longitudinal axis to pivot the view direction in circumferential direction and wherein the second operating element is operatively engaged with the shaft for rotating the shaft.
In combination with the position of the at least one operating element on the hand handle, an advantageous one-hand operation for rotating the view direction is achieved also in the circumferential direction.
In a further preferred embodiment, at least one of the first and second operating elements is configured to be self-retarded.
An advantage of this feature that an adjusted view direction is maintained without the one and/or the other operating element needing to be held fixed. An additional advantage is that an undesired displacement of the view direction is avoided.
In a further preferred embodiment, at least one of the first and second operating elements can be locked in at least one operating position.
An advantage is that at least one view direction, preferably however any view direction, adjusted with the operating elements, can be locked in place, so that when interrupting an inspection, the inspection can be started again with an unaltered view direction and a desired location being observed can be immediately found again. The locking of the operating element for rotating the shaft is preferably achieved by a catch of the operating element which can be engaged and disengaged.
In a further preferred embodiment, at least one display means is provided for displaying the respectively adjusted view direction.
An advantage is that the user of the endoscope can determine and document the position of an object with respect to other observed objects or with respect to points in the observation space in the manner of a bearing. This is possible based on the adjusted view direction being displayed as an angle with respect to a fixed direction, for example an axis of the endoscope.
In a further preferred embodiment, the display means is arranged in the image transmission path of the endoscope, so that the adjusted view direction is displayed in a viewfinder image in the optics of the endoscope.
An advantage is that the adjusted view direction can be particularly conveniently determined by simply looking through the endoscope.
Preferably, the display means comprise a disc-like element having reference markings distributed about its circumference and a pointer running about the longitudinal axis of the shaft relative to the markings.
This is an advantageous configuration of the display means for displaying a view direction in circumferential direction, by which the pointer moves about the shaft when it is rotated, while the disc-like element, for example in the form of a compass with reference markings, remains fixed when rotating the shaft. The element comprising the reference markings is preferably a shutter in the image transmission path of the endoscope. The reference markings can also be denoted with numbers in degrees, for example in steps of 30xc2x0. By simultaneously displaying the markings and the pointer, the angle between the handle and the circumferential view direction can at least be estimated and is also adjustable. For example, when holding the handle in vertical position, the vertical axis becomes the reference axis and the circumferential view direction is therefore defined. A location to be observed can be advantageously found again in this manner, or the observation direction, at least in circumference, can be estimated and documented.
In addition, the display means preferably comprises a bubble in a fluid for indicating the vertical direction.
This feature has the further advantage that the ground vertical direction is always defined by the bubble position, as in a level, during handling of the endoscope even when the handle is tilted slightly to the side. The bubble indicator can be provided in place of or in addition to the above-mentioned reference markings.
In a further preferred embodiment, the display means comprises a digital or analog display of the adjusted view direction.
An exact display of the respective view is advantageously made possible, namely a display can be provided for the view with respect to the longitudinal direction and/or the circumferential direction. The display can also be made visible in the image transmission path of the optics in the view field.
In a further preferred embodiment, the display means comprise one or more display windows arranged on the handle with digital or analog displays for the adjusted view direction.
This feature has the advantage that the adjusted view with respect to the longitudinal direction and/or in circumferential direction is shown on the handle itself, so that operational conditions of the endoscope with respect to the adjusted view direction can be recognized at any time.
In a further preferred embodiment, the handle projects from the shaft to be inclined with respect to the shaft toward the distal end.
With this configuration of the handle, an ideal ergonomic form is achieved, which is adapted for the purposes of manipulation of the endoscope. Namely, when using the endoscope, the ocular cup is drawn close to the eye of the user, so that the lower arm is closely adjacent to the upper arm. Due to the handle being inclined toward the distal end, the handle can be held in relaxed, tire-free manner with the wrist being angled slightly backwardly and upwardly.
In a further preferred embodiment, a connector for connecting an optical cable is arranged to be sunk in the handle, where the handle comprises an opening at least on one side at the position of the connector.
The connector being recessed or sunk in the handle has the advantage that the end of the cable, normally reinforced with a sleeve to protect against bending, is completely recessed into the handle, so that only the flexible portion of the optical cable extends from the handle. This has the advantage that the reinforced portion of the cable end does not hinder the use of the endoscope, whereby the utilization of the endoscope is further improved. The at least one opening provided on one side, preferably however two openings in the vicinity of the connector, allow easy handling for fixing and releasing the optical fiber connector.
In a further preferred embodiment, a TV camera is integrated at the proximal end of the endoscope.
The camera can be integrated at the proximal end of the handle in place of the normal ocular, so that the region to be observed can advantageously be made visable on a monitor.
The above advantages of the endoscope according to the present invention can be employed in technical endoscopy, but also in medical applications, particularly endoscopic surgery, in advantageous manner.
Further advantages will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings. It will be understood that the above-mentioned features and those to be discussed below are applicable not only in the given combinations, but also in other combinations or taken alone without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Selected embodiments are shown in the drawings and will be discussed in more detail below with reference to the figures.